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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25409716">Firehouse Blues</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApolloLoki97/pseuds/ApolloLoki97'>ApolloLoki97</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Walking Dead (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Badass Reader, Engineer Reader, F/M, Negan is a flirt, Negan is an automatic warning, Reader Insert, pre-rick, saviors</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:47:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,282</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25409716</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApolloLoki97/pseuds/ApolloLoki97</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Simon and the Saviors find you in your abandoned firehouse, trying to take your supplies. However, before the Turn you were an engineer and you created a fortress that nobody could break into.</p><p>After attacking the Saviors that threatened you, they left only for you to run into the Boss a couple of months later when Negan is hurt. Saving his life and tending to his wounds, he offers you a deal and a trade. You want to consider it seeing as he may not be as bad as you first thought. </p><p>----</p><p>Or badass reader takes on Simon only to meet Negan.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Negan/You, Negan/reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Not gonna lie, my summary skills have sucked lately! Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first time you met the Saviors, you had given them a single warning. </p><p>It was early morning when the trucks first rolled up to your firehouse. You had been living in the old fire station for about a year now and it had quickly become a fortress. With a mixture of scavenging and inventing, your home was not only well-armed but equipped with sophisticated security systems that included both machinery and the Dead. Being an engineer before the Turn, when you found the firehouse, it quickly became your new project. </p><p>A multitude of traps, alarms, and mirrors was placed around the property. From certain vantage points, you could see every entrance and it would be a miracle if anyone or <em>anything </em>could breach your walls. The collection of Dead was your most recent idea and so far it was working. It had taken your a few weeks to get everything perfect, but soon enough, you kept at least ten Dead ones confined within the entrance area of the firehouse. If anyone was to get through the front door, they would have to get through a group of the Dead that you could release with a single pull of a lever.</p><p>When you heard the caravan of vehicles approaching your home, you acted quickly. With a few adjustments and two pulls of a lever, two large hoses deposited gasoline out front of the building, ready for you to ignite it if necessary. The entrance to the main yard out front was lined with two large fire engines that blocked the other traps that you had set up, two tripwires that would activate a loud siren, calling any Dead within a few miles towards the building. You were safe behind your brick walls, but your enemy wouldn’t be so lucky.</p><p>Sliding down the fire pole that was just off your makeshift bedroom, you crept towards the main area of the station. In the main garage, you could hear your Dead on the other side of the door as they waited in the administration area. It had taken you a while to get used to the noise, but now if you didn’t have the constant groans of your hungry companions, everything felt too silent. </p><p>Climbing up one of the fire ladders, you looked through one of the windows at the top of the accordion door. In the bright sun of the morning, five trucks parked just behind the fire engines. Armed men and women exited the vehicles and gathered around your barrier, looking up at the firehouse in confusion.</p><p>You were aware that there were groups in the area. Some were considered safe havens, but of course, there were those who wanted what others had. Based on their weapons and how each of them carried themselves, you were certain they were the latter. </p><p>You climbed down from the window and ran for your armory. You kept your weapons in many different places throughout the station, never all together in one place. In the garage was where you kept most of your smaller pistols as well as your explosives. Grabbing two pistols, you slid them into your holsters. You also grabbed your parabolic listening device. You had found the long-distance microphone on a run a few months ago. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked great when listening to conversations that were right outside your home. </p><p>Making your way to the top level, you checked your traps along the way. Your Dead were secure, the tripwires fully ready, and every door was reinforced alongside automatic weapons that could be triggered with a few tugs of a rope. You then headed for your main “nest” as you called it. On the top floor of the firehouse, you had a full view of those who threatened your home and that is where you waited.</p><p>Peering through a rifle scope, you watched as a man with a rather impressive mustache exited the last truck. He walked with a swagger and a cocky grin on his face. He stared up at your fire station with gratification as if he had just won the lottery. Switching on the microphone, you held the disc towards the slightly open window and you listened.</p><p>“You know, when our new friend said this place was well-guarded, I thought he meant by actual men,” the man said. A woman to his left followed his line of sight with a frown. </p><p>“Maybe he was wrong, Simon,” the woman said. The man, Simon, shook his head and walked between the fire engines, gauging his surroundings. You watched on in silence. </p><p>“I don’t think so, Arat,” Simon said. “He said this place was a fortress. A fortress with guns,” he said with a wicked smile. At his words, your stomach turned. You knew who he was talking about. You had invited someone into your home a month earlier. His name was Justin and he had been starving, weak, and in need of shelter. He was a former Sailor with the Navy so you had offered him sanctuary. Clearly, that had been a mistake. The bastard had betrayed you and brought these pirates to your doorstep. “Spread out!” Simon ordered. “Find a way in.”</p><p>The men and women nodded to their leader and began fanning out over your property. You ignored the teams that went to the sides of the building. They would need a bulldozer to get through your doors and even then, you were prepared to take on any intruders. Your main focus was the man with the mustache. He seemed too confident in trying to take your place by force.</p><p>You watched him carefully, gauging all his reactions and how he scanned his surroundings. There was a moment when you considered taking him out. A single bullet to the heart would kill him and allow you to add him to your collection downstairs. However, you had a feeling that if you did, the cavalry would return and conflict was not what you were aiming for here. </p><p>Simon picked his way towards the front of the building. You were surprised to see that he noted your tripwires almost instantly. He didn’t bother to disarm them as he stepped over each one and placed his hands on his hips. “I know you’re in there!” he sang, smiling up at the windows you sat behind. “Why don’t you come on out and we can discuss this like friends?”</p><p>Your eyes went to the gasoline that shimmered in the sun. Simon noticed it as well and toed it with his boot. “Careful, Simon,” Arat said, still behind the barrier the wires provided. </p><p>“Something tells me, we aren’t going to get the full welcome wagon,” Simon sighed. “Okay then! Guess we will have to do this the hard way!” Simon then whistled and three of his men approached with a battering ram. You were annoyed when they also took care to avoid the wires. Clearly, you had to do a better job at camouflaging them. The men placed themselves at your front door, ready to take it down, but all you did was smile. Reaching over to your left, you pulled up on a yellow-painted-lever and released your Dead.</p><p>As soon as the ram broke down the door, ten lumbering Dead men and women attacked your intruders. You heard the screams first. Two men went down as the Dead converged on them. “Fall back!” Simon yelled, running back to avoid gnarled hands and teeth. In his hurry, he didn’t avoid the wires this time and instantly your home lit up with a fire siren. </p><p>Simon and the others panicked as the Dead began appearing around corners. You had purposefully baited them with dead animals whenever you could. You found the Living avoided highly populated areas of the Dead so it played in your favor. Panic ensued instantly as the men and women retreated to their vehicles. You pushed open your window and leaned out slightly, making sure Simon could see you. Meeting your eyes, he glared, cursing. You smiled widely at him and then lifted your middle finger to the sky.</p><p>“You might wanna hurry up!” you hollered at him, “I don’t think they’ve eaten in a while!” you shouted, gesturing to the Dead that stumbled towards his people. Simon looked as if he wanted to shoot you right there, but he made the smarter choice and ran for his truck. </p><p>“Go!” he yelled, jumping into the passenger seat and slamming his hand against the roof. The trucks raced away from your home, firing at stray Dead as they did. You couldn’t help but laugh as you watched them flee. However, it was then that you realized you had to reset all your traps and you sighed in annoyance. The Dead would be easy to replace, but it was always a hassle to reset the wires and disperse the hungry bodies that surrounded the area after the siren. </p><p>Speaking of which, you ran to the other side of the room and slammed your hand against the emergency shut-off button, turning off the deafening sound. Listening to the increased groans of the Dead, you picked up a length of chain that hung on a hook. “This is gonna take all night,” you said with a deep sigh, but you knew it was worth it.</p><p>You were considering adding more than ten this time. The only thing that would make the situation better was if you could get your hands on Justin and hang his traitorous ass on the front gate as your first warning. Perhaps one day you would get the chance, but for now, you had work to do. </p><hr/><p>It was two months later when you finally met the man in charge.</p><p>You were on a run for parts to fix a radio you had found in the boiler room when you heard the sound of clashing metal. Running towards the sound, you saw a supply truck tipped over on its side and the Dead circled it like sharks after prey. You thought about turning away. It wasn’t rare for people to come through your area of town. They would get into rough situations and either they lived or they didn’t. You never felt as if it was your duty to intervene. However, when you saw who exited the truck, you reconsidered. </p><p>Climbing out of the passenger side window, a tall, handsome man slid to the ground. In his hand, he held a barbed-wire-wrapped baseball bat, and as soon as he got his bearings, he swung it, crushing in skulls immediately. You watched this man fight through the small herd of Dead as they attempted to make him their lunch.</p><p>His leather jacket was splashed with black blood and it seemed as if he was limping heavily. You figured he was injured from the crash, but it didn’t seem to stop him. It was clear to you that he was a survivor and that was what made you pull your weapon. </p><p>You ran towards the man, firing on the remaining Dead. He turned to you in surprise before going back to swinging his weapon. Neither of you spoke as your dispatched the rest of the corpses. You then found three feasting on a body that hung limply out of the truck’s windshield. You pulled your knife and took them out, stabbing each of them in the back of the head.</p><p>When all was quiet, you turned to find the survivor bent over, leaning on his bat for support. “You alright?” you asked, slightly out of breath. </p><p>“Am I alright?” he asked, slightly amused. “Shit, Darlin’, <em>you’re </em>the one who went all fucking Rambo on these dead assholes. I am more than alright considering how much <em>badass </em>I just witnessed,” he said and you found his deep voice incredibly soothing, even when he was swearing like a sailor. </p><p>“Your injury,” you said, pointing at his leg, “is it a bite?” </p><p>“Nope, just your average big ass cut,” he said, pulling up the leg of his pants. The wound looked deep, most likely from a piece of metal. Looking around, you made a quick decision. </p><p>“I can patch you up if you want. My place is just around the corner,” you said, already regretting it. He looked at you for a moment before shrugging. </p><p>“Figure I don’t have any other options,” he said, “Lead the way.” You went to his side and pulled his arm around your shoulders, giving him support. </p><p>“Ya got a name?” you asked as you pulled him towards your firehouse. </p><p>“Negan,” he grunted, clearly in more pain than he first led on. “And what can I call you, my white knight?” he asked, smiling down at you. </p><p>“(Y/N),” you said, “and I’m no white knight. Just figured you’ve already had a shitty day. No need to make it worse.” Negan laughed, a broad smile encompassing his bearded face. </p><p>“I’ll take it,” he said and you smiled slightly. You took Negan through a back alley and then down the main street that led to your home. As you got closer to the fire station, Negan swore under his breath. </p><p>“What is it?” you asked, suddenly on alert for any danger. </p><p>“You’re her, aren’t you?” he asked. </p><p>“You’re gonna have to be a bit more specific there, bud,” you said, hauling him down the pavement. </p><p>“The firehouse chick,” he explained. “My men tried to take this place a couple of months ago and you unleashed a shit ton of corpses on them!” he said, extremely exuberant. “Simon said you were a spitfire, guess he was right after all.” Hearing Simon’s name, you jerked away from Negan, throwing him to the ground. “Shit!” he swore. You pulled your pistol and aimed it at his head. “Whoa there!” he said, raising his hands.</p><p>“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t shoot you and mount your head on my wall?” you asked him, releasing the safety on your weapon. </p><p>“How about the fact that you’re all about defense and not offense?” Negan offered as he stared down the barrel of your gun. </p><p>“And how would you know that?”</p><p>“Simon said that everything that happened that day was all bells and whistles. Shit worthy of a badass and a badass you are,” Negan said. </p><p>“Your men tried to rob me, take my weapons, and they didn’t seem to care about whether I had people inside,” you told him. </p><p>“And did you? Have people?” he asked, his eyes flashing between the gun and your face. With a sigh, you dropped the gun.</p><p>“No, I prefer to be alone. Tried to have someone with me once and well, he went and told your boy Simon about my place. Haven’t seen him since, but I plan to gut him from head to toe when I do,” you said, holstering your weapon. “Do I have to do the same to you?” Negan grinned once again. </p><p>“No, ma’am,” he said, wetting his lips with his tongue. “I’m quite fine with <em>whatever </em>you decide to do with me.” You rolled your eyes at his innuendo. </p><p>“If I bring you inside, are you gonna try to take my shit?” you asked, your hand still resting on the pistol at your side. </p><p>“Wouldn’t dream of stealing from the woman that is offering to nurse me back to health,” he said, tilting his head to the side. You offered your hand to him.</p><p>“I’m holding you to that,” you said and he took your hand. You helped him to his feet and resumed your earlier position. “I meant what I said about mounting your head.”</p><p>“I have no doubt that you did,” Negan said. “All the more reason for me to behave,” he said with a wink and you tugged him along with a jerk that had him tripping on the buckled sidewalk. </p><hr/><p>Arriving at the station, you took him through the side entrance.</p><p>Negan leaned against the brick wall as you unlocked the steel door with a series of latches and the help of a small crowbar. “What the hell did you do before all of this? CIA?” you looked up at him, annoyed. </p><p>“I was an engineer, genius,” you explained, and with a kick, the door opened. You grabbed his arm again and hauled him into the building. </p><p>“Yeah, I guess that makes more sense,” Negan said, leaning heavily on you. You closed up behind you and then took Negan down the hall towards the stairs. </p><p>“If you fall, try not to take me down with you,” you said. </p><p>“Have some faith, Darlin’,” he said as you started to ascend the stairs. “So, why a firehouse?” he asked. </p><p>“It was convenient,” you explained. “And I like the area.” </p><p>“Prime apocalyptic real estate, huh?” he joked. </p><p>“Something like that,” you said as you finally made your way to the top level. You dragged Negan over to your bed and dropped him. “You’re a lot heavier than you look,” you panted. </p><p>“It’s my big…personality,” he said with a suggestive smile. </p><p>“More like your big ego,” you said before heading over to the cabinet on the wall. Negan peeled off his jacket, dropping his bat by his feet. You grabbed your first aid kit and a bottle of water and went back to him. Negan leaned back against the wall and you sat at his feet, prepping a bandage and antiseptic. “Roll up your pant leg,” you said. “And no, you do not need to take your pants off,” you said before he could say the lewd remark that you knew was on the tip on his tongue. </p><p>“Damn, you’re good,” Negan said, but did as you asked. Placing a towel under his calf, you cleaned the wound the best you could. You were right before, it was pretty deep.</p><p>“Needs stitches,” you said, grabbing the sewing kit. </p><p>“Go for it,” Negan said, placing his hands behind his head. As you stitched his wound closed, he almost seemed content with the situation. </p><p>“You don’t get a lot of downtime, do you?” you asked. </p><p>“How can you tell?” he asked with a chuckle.</p><p>“Because you’re practically asleep while I tug your flesh back together.”</p><p>“I got people to lead,” Negan explained. “Doesn’t allow much leisure time.”</p><p>“Right, the people that you lead to steal the supplies and homes of others,” you said bitterly as you soaked the freshly stitched wound with alcohol again.</p><p>“We all do what we have to in order to survive,” Negan said, his tone more serious. </p><p>“You don’t have to be a looter,” you said, wrapping his leg. You tightly secured his wound and then gathered up your supplies. You gave Negan the water and got up, turning your back on him. </p><p>“Why are you alone?” he asked after a few minutes. You leaned against one of the steel columns and stared at him, trying to make your mind up about the man before you. </p><p>“I stopped trusting people years ago,” you told him, “And every time I decide to try it again, they screw me over. No people, no problems.”</p><p>“Sounds lonely,” he said, his eyes softening. </p><p>“You get used to it,” you said, pushing off the column and going over to your work desk, fiddling with pieces of tech. You were bent over the radio, trying to rewire it when you felt his presence behind you. “If you rip your stitches, I won’t redo them.” Negan laughed and took a seat in the chair by your desk. </p><p>“I want to offer you a deal, (Y/N),” Negan said, watching you with curious eyes. </p><p>“I nearly killed your man, Simon, what makes you think I want to make a deal with you?” you asked. </p><p>“Look, Simon, he means well…sometimes and while he <em>is </em>my right-hand, he's <em>not </em>me. My men do many things in my name, but when it comes down to it, I’m the one who should be shaking hands and kissing babies.”</p><p>“And that’s what you want to do with me?” you questioned. </p><p>“I think you and I can have a very beneficial relationship,” he said, running his hand over his chin. “Strictly professional, of course.”</p><p>“Of course,” you mocked. “Negan, I appreciate that you want to make some kind of deal, but I don’t deal with people that prey on others.” Negan leaned forward. </p><p>“Darlin’, I am more than happy to go by your rules,” he said slowly, “but I want you to hear me out. Who knows, maybe you’ll find I’m not that bad after all.” You leaned towards him as well, staring him down. He glanced down to your lips. Quirking a brow, you smirked.</p><p>“Don’t hold your breath, <em>Darlin</em>’.” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You had finally convinced Negan to get some rest. </p>
<p>After his multiple attempts at flirting, he realized that he wasn’t going to get anywhere and eventually took you up on your offer of a meal and then your other bed. He slept across the room from you, completely unbothered by the whole scenario. His apparent ease around you, a stranger, was either because he somehow trusted you already or because he didn’t see you as a threat. </p>
<p>You sat in the window sill above your bed, keeping your eyes on the street in front of your home. You thought it was odd that nobody had come for him. If he was as important as his ego portrayed, you would have thought someone, Simon perhaps, would have sent out a search party already. There was also the question of why he was out in this area in the first place with only one other man. That would be something you would need to ask him in the morning. </p>
<p>For now, however, you needed your rest. You hadn’t been sleeping very well and while you were wary of Negan, you didn’t think he would try to harm you while you slept. Climbing down from the window, you crawled into bed, sliding a pistol under your pillow just in case. It didn’t take long for you to enter your dreams and soon, all your worries were gone, replaced with blissful sleep.</p>
<hr/>
<p>When the sun came up the next morning, a beam of it hit your face, warming your cheeks. </p>
<p>Groggily, you sat up, wiping the sleep from your eyes.</p>
<p>”Mornin’, sunshine.” You slowly turned to your left to see a smiling Negan lounging in bed alongside you. Your hand slid under your pillow but found nothing. “Looking for this?” Negan asked, holding up your gun. You snatched the pistol from his hand.</p>
<p>“Please tell me you weren’t there all night,” you grumbled, flopping back down to the mattress. </p>
<p>“Not <em>all </em>night,” Negan said, “Hey, did you know that you snore?” He joked and you grabbed a pillow and smacked him with it. “Okay, okay,” Negan said, battling your feather-filled weapon. He grabbed the pillow and tossed it aside. “So, you’re not a morning person, got it.”</p>
<p>“Your voice is grating,” you muttered, throwing an arm over your eyes. </p>
<p>“You might want to get your ears checked, sweetheart,” Negan said, “my voice is husky and damn musical.” Peeking out from under your arm, you narrowed your eyes at him.</p>
<p>“Are you always this direct? Or is it just when you want something?” you asked. Negan thought about it before turning on his side. He reached over and plucked your arm completely away from your face. He then moved closer, leaning over you. You stared at him, completely unfazed. </p>
<p>“Life is too short, (Y/N). I prefer to always say what’s on my mind,” Negan explained. His eyes glanced down at your lips and you rolled your eyes. </p>
<p>“Sorry,” you whispered, pushing him back. He eased back down onto his side, “but you’re not my type,” you finished with a gentle tap on his chest as you got out of bed. </p>
<p>“Ouch!” he said, unbothered. You left Negan in your bed as you went around your room, getting ready for the day. You tossed him a protein bar halfway through your routine and then left him to his own devices as you went to check on your Dead.</p>
<p>Negan, of course, followed you.</p>
<p>It seemed that his leg was doing much better, but you noticed a subtle limp in his gait. If he was in pain, he definitely wasn’t showing it. You figured he was used to doing so and if he didn’t, it would ruin his whole “alpha male” persona.</p>
<p>“This is so creepy,” he said as he peered into the window that looked in on the administration area. </p>
<p>“But effective,” you added. You watched as the Dead stumbled towards the window, hands pressing against the glass. “I just gotta make sure they don’t become too lethargic,” you explained. “Nobody likes a lazy corpse.” Negan looked down at you, a slight look of concern was plastered on his features. “What?”</p>
<p>“Anyone ever tell you that you’re a bit scary?” You just shrugged and continued through the station. “So, about our deal,” he said as he followed you. </p>
<p>“I don’t remember ever agreeing to a deal,” you reminded him. </p>
<p>“No, but as I said, I think we can benefit from each other. I noticed that you don’t have any crops around here.”</p>
<p>“So?”</p>
<p><em>“So,”</em> he said, “I do and I am willing to share food in exchange for some of your shiny toys,” he said poking the weapon that was tucked into your belt. </p>
<p>“You want my weapons?” you asked, crossing your arms. You knew this was coming. There was no doubt in your mind that Negan was going to try the same thing as his lieutenant did months prior. However, at least he was asking this time. But you weren’t sure how long the pleasantries were going to last. </p>
<p>“Like I said, a deal,” Negan clarified. “I am willing to give you food, textiles, and overall protection if you are willing to part with a portion of your arsenal.”</p>
<p>“Overall protection?” you asked, your brows raised. </p>
<p>“You must know that we aren’t the only group around these parts,” he said. “Others may not be so…giving if you were to come across them.” You laughed. </p>
<p>“In case you haven’t noticed, Negan, I do pretty well on my own,” you said. Negan sighed, resting his hands on his hips. His eyes fell on one of the first aid kits that sat empty in the corner of the garage.</p>
<p>“What about medicine?” he asked.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Medicine, (Y/N),” he said, “We have a fully stocked infirmary as well as a doctor that is pretty damn good. Carson can fix ya up no matter what. So, what about medicine being added to the deal? <em>And </em>you get access to the doc whenever you need him.” You slowly shook your head at him. This man was unbelievable. </p>
<p>“All that for guns?” you asked, still not quite grasping what he was asking. </p>
<p>“Guns, grenades, your help with reinforcing my place with your magical engineer hands,” he said with a sly smile, “and maybe your company now and then.”</p>
<p>“You want me to work for you?” you scoffed. “Not happening.”</p>
<p>“Okay, think about it as being an independent contractor. I have the manpower, but none of them are exactly Einsteins. I could use your help.”</p>
<p>“To fortify your castle?” you asked, becoming slightly annoyed. </p>
<p>“What’s wrong with having a little power, huh?” he asked, approaching you slowly. </p>
<p>“You don’t give up, do you?” Negan grinned and reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. </p>
<p>“I always get what I want, Darlin’. This is a fair trade. Hell, you’re getting more from me than most people would get in a year. All you need to do is say yes.” You considered his offer. A part of you wanted to take it. You needed food and access to medicine was a bonus. However, you had reservations. The only interaction you had had with Negan and his people was when Simon tried to take your place by force. And while Negan was being nice and clearly wanting some kind of partnership, you had to be sure. </p>
<p>“I need something from you first,” you told him, looking up into his hazel eyes. </p>
<p>“And what would that be?”</p>
<p>“Take me to your castle,” you said and his eyes lit up with intrigue.</p>
<p>“You want me to take you home to my place?” he asked with a flirty smile.</p>
<p>“If you want my guns, Negan,” you said slowly, “then I need to know who I’m working with. But if I don’t like what I see, you get nothing and if any of your people try to take my things by force, they will all die.” His eyes darkened slightly at your words. “I don’t threaten lightly so you if you double-cross me, so help me God, Negan…” </p>
<p>“Nobody is double-crossing anyone,” he assured you. “You come to the Sanctuary with me and you’ll see.”</p>
<p>“See what?”</p>
<p>“That being King is <em>fun</em>.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>The two of you headed out as morning turned to afternoon.</p>
<p>When Negan learned that you didn’t have a vehicle, he was confused. “So, how do you go on runs?”</p>
<p>“I walk or I hot-wire cars,” you said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which it was. You walked through the streets, looking for a decently intact car. You found an SUV parked behind a liquor store and got to work. Negan leaned against the side of the car, his baseball bat back in his hand. “I’m assuming there is a story behind that,” you said, gesturing to the bat. </p>
<p>“Lucille has been with me through it all,” he said, twirling her around.</p>
<p>“Why am I not surprised that you named it?” you said with a sigh as you twisted wires together. </p>
<p>“What? You’ve never named something important to you?” you glanced up at him. </p>
<p>“Not a weapon I use to kill people and corpses,” you said as the car sputtered to life. You left the driver’s side open and went to get into the passenger. </p>
<p>“Whoa, who says I kill people?” Negan asked and all you did was laugh loudly. He huffed and climbed into the car. You propped your feet up onto the dash as Negan pulled out of the alleyway. </p>
<p>“So, why were you in this area in the first place?” you asked as he drove towards his home. </p>
<p>“Was on my way back to the Sanctuary from an outpost. Herd crossed over the road and we had to take a detour. Then the Savior, one of my men, that was driving had some kind of meltdown and crashed the damn truck,” Negan said as his hands gripped the steering wheel tighter. </p>
<p>“No wonder you weren’t torn up about his death,” you said, resting your head back and closing your eyes. </p>
<p>“I never did thank you for helpin’ me out,” he said. </p>
<p>“No thanks needed,” you said. “Couldn’t let a pretty face like yours go to waste, could I?” Negan looked over at you with another wide grin as he drummed against the wheel. </p>
<p>“Ha! I knew it,” he said with glee, “and you said I wasn’t your type.”</p>
<p>“Being my type and being something nice to look at are two very different things, Negan,” you told him. </p>
<p>“Not in my book, sweetheart,” he said, “you can’t take it back now. You just opened a door that I am <em>more </em>than willing to walk through.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure you are,” you said, “however, don’t get your hopes up. As you said last night this relationship is ‘strictly professional’.” Negan hummed but didn’t comment further.</p>
<p>It didn’t take much longer to reach your destination.</p>
<p>When the factory came into view, you sat up higher in your seat, nearly gaping at the structure. Negan noticed immediately. “Is that a big enough ‘castle’ for you?” he asked with a smirk. Negan drove towards a chain-link fence. Men and women with large guns stood inside the yard behind the fence and you saw spotters and snipers along the rooftop as well. Negan rolled down the window and leaned out. “Open up, fuckers!” he yelled and his people rushed to do just as their boss asked. </p>
<p>You watched as the people Negan had called Saviors hurried around like bees in a hive to welcome him home. As you two pulled into the Sanctuary, you immediately spotted Simon. He stood with a blonde man by a set of double doors. “Try not to punch him,” Negan said, noting who you had spotted. </p>
<p>“No promises,” you said, glaring daggers at the man with the mustache. Negan sighed and parked the car, throwing open the door. You followed after him, keeping your hand on your gun. </p>
<p>“Well, well, well,” Negan said, addressing his Saviors, “glad to see one night without me didn’t turn this place into a madhouse.” Simon approached Negan. </p>
<p>“Where’s Liam?” Simon asked. You figured that was the dead guy from the truck. </p>
<p>“Dead,” Negan said, swinging the bat up onto his shoulder. “Bastard nearly killed us both and I wouldn’t have been able to grace you with my presence without the generous help from this beautiful woman,” Negan said, whirling around to look at you. Simon looked at you with confusion. “What’s wrong, Simon? Don’t you remember her? She is the one that made your ass look like an idiot when you tried to take her shit two months ago. Recognition flared in Simon’s eyes and his jaw became rigid. </p>
<p>“Nice to see you too,” you baited. Negan glanced back and forth between the two of you, waiting for a fight to begin, but Simon held his tongue. </p>
<p>“Simon,” Negan said, “this is (Y/N), our potential new business partner! Came to give her the grand tour!” </p>
<p>“We’re working with her? She tried to kill us, she did kill some of us with her…<em>pets</em>.” </p>
<p>“Ouch. Pets?” you said, “I think of them more like my own personal secret service. Except I don’t need to pay them.” Negan laughed, throwing an arm around your shoulder. </p>
<p>“Isn’t she great?” Negan said to his people, <em>“God,</em> you should really get to know her, Simon. She’s a fucking firecracker.” Simon nodded slightly as Negan tugged you along. “Come on, we got things to see,” he said in your ear.</p>
<p>“You’re really milking this king thing aren’t you?” you asked. </p>
<p>“Oh, just you wait,” he said with a glint in his eye. Negan led you through his factory. You weren’t surprised to see the amount of Saviors that milled around the area, but you were surprised to see the number of workers. The factory floor was full of them and as you walked through the rest of the property, you could see even more. </p>
<p>“They all live here under your protection?” you asked as you walked alongside him. </p>
<p>“That they do,” Negan said with a proud nod. “They work for me, earn points, and they get everything they need. I’m a fair leader.” </p>
<p>“Right,” you scoffed. “And is that why you pillage others.” Negan sighed, pulling you to a stop. </p>
<p>“Again with this? Really, (Y/N), I need you to understand how things work around here. We only take half from the communities that we own and even then, we keep them safe. I like to think that is a fair deal. Don’t you?” You pursed your lips, considering everything. He was right in some sense. He wasn’t burning places to the ground to gain supplies and he was helping the people in the Sanctuary live.</p>
<p>It started to look as if everything he had told you was, in fact, true, and the deal he had offered was starting to look better and better. Before you could answer him, however, a blonde woman with a tattoo on her neck, approached you, looking annoyed. </p>
<p>“Negan,” she said, “sorry to interrupt, but Frankie is in a mood and she is throwing things all over the lounge. Amber is trying to calm her down.” Negan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. You looked at him in confusion. “What do you want me to do, boss?”</p>
<p>“Just let her cool off,” Negan said. “Frankie gets like this. She’ll pass out in like an hour. Keep an eye on her.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Sir,” the woman said as she walked away, but Negan called her back. </p>
<p>“Laura!” he called and the woman, Laura, spun around. “Give her some of my scotch.” Laura nodded.</p>
<p>“One of these days, your wives are going to make <em>me </em>wish I had a strong bottle of my own,” she said before jogging down a corridor. However, it wasn’t Laura’s quick departure that had you frozen. The word “wives” bounced around your head. You took a few steps back from Negan, feeling like an idiot.</p>
<p>“And there it is,” you said. Negan looked at you, already sensing your anger. “The final nail in your alpha male coffin.”</p>
<p>“You’re judging me?” Negan asked and you laughed. </p>
<p><em>“Oh, no, Negan,”</em> you said sarcastically, “I would never judge you for having <em>multiple wives</em>. Jesus Christ, man, please don’t tell me that was your ultimate plan for me? Because if you think for <em>one </em>second I am marrying your ass, you haven’t been paying attention.” Negan looked around, seeing a few people peering at you as your voice got louder. He then took your arm and hauled you through the Sanctuary. “Negan…” you groaned, but he just kept walking. </p>
<p>Eventually, you arrived at a room and he pushed you through the door. It was then that you realized it was his bedroom. Negan’s place was sophisticated as hell with a large king-size bed, posh decor, and a great view of the world around you. You pulled your arm out of his and pushed him away from you. “What the hell?” you asked.</p>
<p>“Can’t have you making a scene in front of my people,” he said.</p>
<p>“So you drag me around like your pet dog?” He ignored your comment as he dropped Lucille on his desk and ran his hands through his hair.</p>
<p>“I already told you what I want from you, (Y/N),” he said, “and that is not to be my fucking wife.”</p>
<p>“No? Okay then. What about me down on one knee at your feet as you walk by? You want met to kneel to the great Negan while you strut around with that damn bat?” The kneeling was the first thing you had noticed as he gave you the tour. It never failed. No matter where you went, people would bow to their king and all it made you want to do was leave. “This,” you gestured around, “isn’t some kind of sanctuary. It’s a fucking prison.”</p>
<p>“Yeah? And what about where you live?” he challenged. </p>
<p>“That’s different,” you countered. “I don’t do what you do. I don’t hurt people.” </p>
<p>“I only hurt those that deserve it,” Negan promised. “I am not a monster who takes and takes and never gives anything back. My first offer to you is still on the table. You give me weapons and your services when needed and you get everything else! How is that a hard thing to accept?”</p>
<p>“It’s not!” you hollered back. “But I have stood by a code since this whole shit show started. I wasn’t going to make deals with the devil and how do I know that the second I shake your hand, I won’t get locked away somewhere while your goons take my stash?”</p>
<p>“Because that isn’t who I am,” Negan said, taking a step closer to you.</p>
<p>“I don’t know who you are,” you told him. “We met yesterday and all you did was flirt and listen to yourself talk, and yeah, I liked it. I’ll admit it. I liked having the company and hearing a man make ridiculous passes at me, but that’s all it was. That’s a lot different than trusting you.”</p>
<p>Negan paced for a minute or so as you watched him, trying to follow his movements. Eventually, he paused and looked at you and all you could see was determination in his face.</p>
<p>“You know what,” Negan said, “I did lie about one thing.” </p>
<p>“What now?” you asked already tired of this game. </p>
<p>“I lied when I said I wanted this to be solely professional,” he said as he walked up to you and pushed his hands into your hair. </p>
<p>“Negan,” you warned. “You can’t do this to me. I don’t do the whole hot and cold thing.”</p>
<p>“Is this about the wives? They mean nothing to me,” he said gruffly. </p>
<p>“And I do?” you asked, quirking a brow. </p>
<p>“You could,” he said softly, loosening his grip, letting the silky strands flow through his fingers.</p>
<p>“I don’t trust you,” you said, but you couldn’t ignore the fluttering in your chest at his closeness. </p>
<p>“I don’t trust you either,” he said with a small smile. “But relationships of any kind take time to develop. We start small. One case of guns for two crates of food and we’ll go from there.”</p>
<p>“Seems…somewhat fair,” you said and couldn’t help but place your hands against his chest, feeling his heartbeat through his thin t-shirt.</p>
<p>“And a bonus? You don’t have to come here if you don’t want to. You can stay away from Simon and whoever else you find…unworthy.” Negan pulled you closer and you had to tilt your head to look up at him. “Strictly on your terms.”</p>
<p>“That seems like a first for you,” you whispered, feeling his body heat. </p>
<p>“Oh, it is,” he explained. “But I am willing to bend my own rules.” You had rules of your own and everything in your head was telling you to push away from him and leave, but that was the survivor in you.</p>
<p>The other voice in your head, the purely human side, wanted to say yes to him. Even if nothing happened between the two of you past this single moment, you would have contact with other <em>people</em>, even if it was people like Simon and Arat. </p>
<p>You had been alone for so long, simply relying on your own intelligence and skills to keep yourself alive. You never thought that you would be able to help others. When you found and stocked up on all your weapons, it was all to protect yourself from the Living, but perhaps, the Living weren’t as big of an enemy as you first thought. </p>
<p>Leaning up, you rolled your hands over his shoulders, bringing him closer to you. “What are you doing?” He asked, watching your face.</p>
<p>“I’m learning to bend,” you told him, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. “I’ll take your deal, but on one condition.” </p>
<p>“Anything,” he breathed, his hands moving to your back. </p>
<p>“If you want anything <em>more </em>than a professional relationship,” you whispered, “<em>you </em>need come to <em>me</em>.” Negan grinned.</p>
<p>“I think I can accept those terms,” Negan said, nearly humming with anticipation.</p>
<p>“So, do we shake hands now?” You asked, tilting your head to the side. Negan pressed you right to his chest. </p>
<p>“I’m thinking of sealing the deal in another way,” he whispered before leaning you back and capturing your lips with his. You fell into the kiss, relishing in the feel. It had been too long since a man had held you like this and you were willing to let yourself go. You knew there would be more kinks to iron out when it came to trading and you would have to face Simon eventually, but all that could wait. Right now, all you wanted to do was claim the man in your arms and for once you didn’t even need a trap to do it. </p>
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